To compile the list, the Monthly‘s editors gathered reams of publicly available data and settled on three criteria: social mobility, research, and service. America’s best colleges, the editors reasoned, are those that produce new scientific discoveries and a high percentage of students who become Ph.D.s, help economically disadvantaged students earn degrees, and emphasize students’ obligation to serve their communities and the nation at large.

“While I caution parents and students against putting too much stock into any single ranking or indicator, it is gratifying to have Bryn Mawr recognized for values, such as access, research-intensive teaching and service to society, that are core to its institutional identity ,” said Bryn Mawr President Jane McAuliffe in learning of the ranking.

“Bryn Mawr’s students have always gone on to lead lives of great accomplishment and purpose. Our faculty members are among the finest in the world at not only producing groundbreaking research but also cultivating the next generation of scientists and academics. As an institution, the College has a tradition of providing access to students from across the socioeconomic spectrum,” she added.

Bryn Mawr has always received high marks in Washington Monthly‘s annual review, which debuted in 2005. The College earned the top spot on the liberal arts rankings in 2006 as well.